St. Bernard has been charged with gross exaggeration in another passage. "A great miracle to-day," he writes (§ 30), "is the extinction of that generation, so quickly wrought, especially for those who knew their pride and power." It is an extravagant hyperbole to say that either the O'Neills, or the great tribe of the Oirgialla, represented to this day by the Maguires, the O'Hanlons and the MacMahons, was blotted out when the _Life of St. Malachy_ was written. So argued some in the time of Colgan (_Trias_, p. 302). But they misrepresented St. Bernard. The word "generation" obviously means in the sentence before us what it meant in § 19 ("adulterous generation")--not an extensive tribe, nor even the Clann Sinaich as a whole, but the branch of that sept which provided abbots for Armagh. The speedy extinction of a single family is not a thing incredible. And it is worthy of remark that neither the Clann Sinaich, nor any person described as ua Sinaich or mac Sinaich is mentioned in the Annals after 1135 (see p. 58, n. 9). For a more detailed treatment of the subjects discussed in this note reference may be made to _R.I.A._ xxxv. 232-238, 340-353. C.--Malachy's Contest with Niall. _Life_, §§ 22-31. The narrative of the series of events between the death of Murtough and the consecration of Gelasius, both in St. Bernard's _Life_ and in _A.F.M._, is obscure, and our two main authorities contradict each other in some particulars. In this note, I propose to attempt a reconstruction of the story. 1. Among the native authorities _A.F.M._ stand alone in giving what approximates to a full account of the struggle between the rival abbots. _A.T._ record only three incidents; the _Chronicon Scotorum_ also records three incidents belonging to the year 1134, and then breaks off, to be resumed in 1142; in _A.U._ and _A.I._ there are hiatus which cover the whole period; the other Annals ignore the events with which we are concerned. The information supplied by _A.F.M._ runs as follows: [Sidenote: 1134.] (1) Malachy O'Morgair made a visitation of Munster and obtained his tribute. * * * * * (2) A chapel, which was erected by Cormac Mac Carthy, king of Cashel, was consecrated by a synod of clergy assembled at that place. (3) Murtough died 17 September. (4) Niall was installed in the coarbate of Patrick. (5) A change of abbots at Armagh, _i.e._ Malachy O'Morgair in place of Niall. (6) Malachy afterwards made a visitation of Munster and received his tribute. * * * * * [Sidenote: 1135.] (7) Flann Ua Sinaich, keeper of the Staff of Jesus, died after good penance. * * * * * (8) Malachy O'Morgair purchased the Staff of Jesus, and took it from its cave 7 July. * * * * * [Sidenote: 1136.] (9) A visitation of Munster was made by Malachy O'Morgair, coarb of Patrick.